The Arab Music Spring Festival has recently been launched in the Palestinian City of Shafa Amr under the sponsorship of the Music House Society. The festival shows this year are held under the banner “People’s Culture Part of their Survival”, according to the Arabic daily al Hayat.

Dozens of Palestinian and international artists participate in the festival including Eissa Hasan who lives in Paris and whose music reflects elements from the heritage and history in a unique style of playing the Buzoq instrument.

This is in addition to the Spanish music player Manuel Delgado who blends flamenco and Kurdish music; artist Yousef Hebaish; Simon Shaheen who was born in the Galilee and is currently living in the United States; the Palestinian Qantarah Troupe which blends Arabic music with western classical and ethnic music and Nasim al Sharq Troupe led by the duo Eyad and Bashir Asadi.

Also participating in the festival is the Palestinian artist Lubna Salameh who is characterized with singing terza merza and the original Arab heritage songs, Tarshiha and other amateur troupes.

Music House society was founded in Shafa Amr in 1996 for the purpose of whetting artistic talents. Also the Arab Music Institute was established as a branch of the society and in which hundreds of Palestinians students receive their education.

Palestinian expatriates living in Europe will attend the festival in addition to a large audience from the Arab cities and villages in north Palestine and its coastal plains. This growing attendance comes as an assertion of cultural life continuity as a symbol of national presence. The festival will continue until the middle of this month -- Albawaba.com